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An Analysis of Operational Processes in Coffee Shops Aimed at Improving Baristas' Response to Highly-Customized Orders

DescriptionFor many coffee drinkers, customizing an order is an intrinsic part of the coffee shop experience. Similarly, an integral part of the operations of coffee shops, and of their baristas' owrk, is the ability to respond to deviation in an order from a standard menu item. The enclosed presentation discusses three time studies following three coffee shops of differing organizational structures -- one national chain, one regional chain, and one local standalone -- and evaluates the stores’ flexibility in responding to customizations. In doing so, it considers order completion times of orders of varying degrees of customization (including non-customized orders, quantified by a numerical “degree of difficulty” scale. The study aims to understand the impact of a store's size and structure on its ability to respond to deviation, compared to the impact of other variables such as the experience the store aims to provide. The study finds that, while size/structure may play a role in being well-prepared for customizations, it is not the only factor. The study suggests changes which will allow all observed stores to better prepare themselves for customization, with their goals for customer experience in mind. The study also discusses directions for furthering related human factors research..

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